2004 Schedule
Notre Dame
@ Stanford
Southern Cal
@ Boise St.
@ Colorado St.
UNLV
Wyoming
@ Air Force
San Diego St.
New Mexico
@ Utah
LINKS
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USC 42 BYU 10 LaVell Edwards Stadium |
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 Game stats |
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by Kyle Chilton, BYU Athletic Media Relations PROVO, Utah (September 18, 2004) -- No. 1 ranked USC gained 528 yards of total offense as the Trojans cruised to a 42-10 win over the BYU Cougars Saturday. USC running backs Reggie Bush and LenDale White had 124 and 110 yards rushing respectively to lead the Trojan attack. Both rushed for a touchdown and Bush add another on a pass reception. It was the first time USC had two players run for over 100 yards since 1996 against Oregon State. USC coach Pete Carroll credited the offensive line for the big night on the ground. "I loved the way the offensive line played," Carroll said. "We really thought we were going to come in here and run the football tonight." Heisman Trophy candidate Matt Leinart had a stellar night, completing 22 of 35 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Leinart also added another touchdown on the ground. BYU coach Gary Crowton said he was impressed with the Trojans and their versatility on offense. "You can see why they're the No. 1 team in the country," he said. "Our defense did really well at times, but with them having so many weapons it was hard to maintain our momentum." John Beck led the BYU offense with 194 yards and one touchdown pass while completing 18 of 34 attempts. Beck also threw three interceptions. Todd Watkins scored his first touchdown as a Cougar and caught six passes for 94 yards. Despite the loss, Crowton felt Beck made progress. "I felt like it was good for Beck to play the whole game and watch him develop," Crowton said. "I think it's only the second time in his career that he's had a whole game under his belt. He'll continue to develop and get better and better." The first quarter ended in a scoreless tie as both defenses held strong. It was the first time USC failed to score in the opening quarter since Nov. 30, 2002 against Notre Dame. John Burbidge picked off a Leinart pass on the Trojan's opening drive, Leinart's first interception in 111 pass attempts. USC held the Cougars to 38 yards of total offense and picked off a Beck pass. In the second quarter, the Cougars struck first on a 42-yard Matt Payne field goal. Payne is now a perfect four-of-four on field goals this season. The lead was short lived. BYU's ensuing kickoff went out of bounds and an encroachment penalty gave USC the ball on its own 40. Facing third and ten, Leinart connected with Dwayne Jarrett on a 20-yard pass to keep the drive alive. After another first down, Leinart found Bush on a short screen pass over the middle, and Bush scampered 21-yards into the end zone for a 7-3 lead. The Trojans did not stop there. With 2:21 left in the first half, USC took possession of the ball on their own 27-yard line. After a seven-yard passing play, Bush did the rest himself, running 66 yards down the sideline to put USC up 14-3. BYU's hopes of making something happen before the end of the half were short lived. On the first play of the drive, USC's Lofa Tatupu recovered a Beck fumble, giving the Trojans the ball on the Cougar 20-yard line. Two plays later, the Trojans were in the endzone once again when Leinart hooked up with Dwayne Jarrett on a 15-yard touchdown pass to make the score 21-3. The Cougars looked to make a move to get back into the game in the third, shutting out USC and adding seven points of their own. After a missed Trojan field goal, BYU took possession and on the first play of the drive, Beck hit Watkins in stride for a 69-yard touchdown pass to put the score at 21-10, USC. The rest of the game was all USC as the Trojans scored three more touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The first score came on a one-yard Leinart plunge early in the quarter. Less than four minutes later, LenDale White scrambled 43-yards for a touchdown, putting him over 100-yards rushing. The last touchdown of the game was a nine-yard run by Lee Webb making the final score 42-10. The Cougars, now 1-2, will look to get back on track Friday at Boise State. The Broncos own the longest winning streak in the nation at 14. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. (MST).
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